Sunseap Group, Southeast Asia’s leading sustainable energy provider, is developing a large floating solar parl to be located north of Woodlands Waterfront Park, along the Straits of Johor.
Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), the 5 MegaWatt-peak (MWp) floating solar system will generate about 6,388 MWh of renewable energy annually, once completed. This is equivalent to powering about 1,250 4-room flats, with a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of about 2,600 tonnes every year, over the next 25 years and beyond.
Most large-scale floating PV systems are built on freshwater ponds, lakes or reservoirs. Sunseap’s latest is one of the largest sea-based photovoltaic (PV) projects. In land-scarce countries like Singapore, the widespread use of PV systems is hindered by space constraints and limited roof space. The successful delivery of this project is important in opening up similar opportunities for sea-based floating photovoltaic systems in Singapore and the region.
Sunseap has previously participated in the world’s largest floating PV test-bed in Singapore at Tengeh Reservoir. Results so far show that the floating PV systems perform better than typical rooftop solar PV systems in Singapore, due to the cooler temperatures of the reservoir environment.
The 5-hectare (equivalent to the size of 5 football fields) OFPV pilot in Woodlands is expected to be commercially operational early next year. This builds on Sunseap’s experience with freshwater systems in reservoirs and is expected to produce similar benefits.
Sunseap Group is the leading solar energy system developer, owner and operator in Singapore. It operates through three key units: Sunseap Leasing, Sunseap International and Sunseap Energy. Sunseap Leasing is the first and largest solar leasing company in Singapore. Sunseap International targets markets in the South East Asian and Pacific regions. These include a 140 MegaWatt-peak (MWp) solar farm in India and a 10 MWp solar farm in Cambodia. Sunseap Energy provides clean energy solutions utilising off-site arrangements by drawing on solar systems within the Group’s portfolio of distributed generation assets. A notable client is Apple, which recently signed an agreement with Sunseap to procure 100% of its local energy requirements from renewable sources. (Source: Sunseap - Image: Strait of Johor)